Terminator Survivors: Everything we know so far

Terminator: Survivors is set to bring us a first-person adventure set after Judgment Day that will see us try to navigate the dangers of Skynet's deadly machines in an open-world setting. Originally slated to land in the latter half of last year, it later pushed back, but it's already shaping to be one of the new games for 2025 to keep an eye out for.

The Terminator movies certainly serve up the perfect backdrop for a survival experience, and it also lots of ingredients that bring to mind some of the best adventure games around. With more information dropping in a making of video from developer Nacon Studio Milan, we've already gotten some insight into its direction, from the team's open-world approach, to the atmosphere and feel they're striving to bring to life.

Set to be among some of the biggest upcoming PC games on the way that's due to arrive in Early Access, we also know it's expected to land on consoles, and can be played solo or with other survivors as you set out to gather resources, build up your home base, and more. While we await more news, read on below to find a full recap of everything we know so far about Terminator: Survivors, from gameplay details, to the setting, and more.

Terminator: Survivors release date will be in 2025

The Terminator Survivors release date has been delayed to 2025. Developer Nacon Studio Milan was originally set to launch into Steam Early Access on October 24, 2024, but was pushed back so that the development team has the time to "build a post-apocalyptic world that lives up to the franchise, and to provide an experience that fully meets the players' expectations."

Currently, we don't know when 2025 the release date will land, but since we haven't seen any new trailers recently, we're betting on a late-year release. Stay tuned for more details!

Terminator: Survivors platforms

Terminator Survivors will launch on PC and is also expected to launch on PS5, and Xbox Series X.

The publisher is yet to confirm when exactly the title will launch on console but it's expected to arrive after Terminator Survivors' entrance onto Steam Early Access in 2025. The game will not be coming to PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch.

Terminator: Survivors development

Terminator Survivors was first teased back in 2022, following the announcement that Nacon had opened a new development label – Nacon Studio Milan. The studio has set out to create 'state-of-the-art video games', bringing in industry veterans from all over the world to support the creation of this new survival experience. Nacon Studio Milan also includes developers from RaceWard, best known for delivering realistic simulators like Rims Racing and TT Isle of Man 3.

Terminator: Survivors trailer

The debut Terminator Survivors trailer was released on February 29, 2024, during the Nacon Connect 2024 presentation. The cinematic trailer doesn't feature any gameplay but does set the tone for this near-future survival experience where members of the resistance will attempt to survive a crumbling world and circumvent the deadly T-800. Watch the first Terminator Survivors trailer above.

Terminator: Survivors gameplay details

Terminator Survivors is an open-world survival game where you'll need to fight smartly to survive the threats of a post-apocalyptic world. While details are still light right now, Nacon Studio Milan says that the Terminator Survivors gameplay experience will see you battling against the threats posed by other humans, machines, and the Terminator. Creative director Marco Ponte says you'll be able to "join forces with other survivors" if you want to for four-player cooperative multiplayer, although the entire game can be played solo.

Terminator Survivors will also feature base-building elements, where you and other FBS resistance fighters can establish stronger bases of operations to better understand the threat posed by Skynet. "You'll explore a wide open world, scavenging for resources that aren't just for your own survival but also for managing and improving your base," says Ponte.

In a Terminator: Survivors - A Resistance In The Making video exploring the game's development, Ponte also sheds light on the direction of Terminator Survivors, and some of the kinds of features we can expect: "The first two movies of the Terminator saga are stories about survival, with characters being hunted down by the Terminator", Ponte says. "We really wanted to recreate this feeling of constant chase. Most of the time, you'll run until you're ready to face them."

"We also felt the Terminator timeline, the post-apocalyptic period, and especially the events after Judgment Day are a perfect fit in terms of environment to set a survival game. Even if already seen a couple of times in the films, this period has only been partially explored. So being able to flesh out that period and showcase the life of survivors during this time, there's no greater honor as fans".

Released concept art, which also appears in the Making of video, shows a focus on modular firearms for first-person combat, stealth systems, evolving bases, and the presence of key resources like food and gasoline. If all this information tracks, we may be looking at one of the best survival games of 2025 here.

Terminator: Survivors setting

Terminator Survivors is set in 2009, just a few short years after Judgment Day – the day that Skynet became self-aware and launched a nuclear war against the world's superpowers. Creative director Marco Ponte says that Terminator Survivors will be confined to the events that occurred in the first two movies (aka some of the best sci-fi movies ever made), although the game will ultimately be its own thing.

"This takes place in a yet unexplored timeline of the Terminator universe. With a completely original storyline that includes famous characters and new ones, where you'll learn about the beginnings of John Connor's resistance."

During the A Resistance In The Making video, art director Mauro Ferrari also speaks on the setting, saying, "the story of the game, like the story of the movies takes place in the USA. From an artistic and narrative point of view, the worldbuilding was extremely curated. Our goal was to be as realistic and coherent as possible in describing a world that carries the conflict narrated in James Cameron's saga."

Ferrari also says James Cameron's movies were the greatest source of inspiration, with the team striving to capture the tense atmosphere of the first movie through "extensive study" of the color palette, photography, and direction. Ferrari also adds that they looked to the second movie for its dynamic action and variety of locations to inform the setting of the game.

While we wait for more information on Terminator Survivors, why not go back and watch T1 and T2: Judgment Day. They are, after all, two of the best action movies of all-time.